Abstract (eng)
This study addresses the empirical void in the examination of political elites' engagement in surrogate representation of non-citizens within a multi-party system. Surrogate representation, a concept proposed by Mansbridge (2003), challenges traditional models of representation by conceptually enabling representation of individuals without an electoral relationship. Utilizing a comprehensive dataset of Austrian parliamentary speeches from 1996 to 2018, I employ word embeddings, a modern quantitative text analysis tool. The results suggest that government officials are more likely to positively appeal to migrant groups, thus I argue they engage more likely in surrogate representation (H1). The GAL-TAN dimension's influence on surrogate representation is not statistically significant (H2). Apart from that, the party’s policy preferences on immigration and the salience of the topic influences the politician’s engagement in surrogate representation. The study highlights power structures in representation, challenges the subaltern role of non-citizens, and emphasises the importance of surrogate representation of non-citizens to addressing the legitimacy gap. While recognizing the study's limitations, this research expands empirical understanding of surrogate representation in multi-party systems, offering insights into inclusivity and legitimacy in democracies.